System and Method to Search and Generate Reports from Semi-Structured Data Including Dynamic Metadata

1. A system for finding data objects corresponding to a user query, comprising: non-transitory data storage means storing a set of data objects, each data object in the set of data objects comprising unstructured data and a metadata structure as ascribed by an object type definition for an object type, wherein the object type definition specifies a set of attributes representing metadata for data objects instantiated according to the object type; a search formation engine configured to, based on a particular object type definition for a selected object type, present a user interface on a device, the user interface comprising query options for the user to formulate a query on the selected object type, the query options comprising a structured query constraint and an unstructured query constraint, the search formation engine being further configured to combine the structured query constraint and the unstructured query constraint; and an information retrieval engine configured to process the query from the search formation engine and return data objects that correspond to the query, the data objects being from the set of data objects.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an index, the set of data objects being indexed for search in the index by the information retrieval engine.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of attributes corresponds to metadata associated with the unstructured data.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the metadata specified in the object type definition comprise dynamic metadata, the dynamic metadata being changeable over time.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a reporting engine, the reporting engine comprising the search formation engine and the information retrieval engine.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the search formation engine being further configured to save the query as a query object, wherein the query is automatically run when the query object is opened to return the data objects that correspond to the query.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the query options presented on the user interface further comprise a free text search option that allows the user to specify full text search terms that are to be located regardless of where they appear in a data object.

8. A computer program product for finding data objects corresponding to a user query, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions translatable by a computer, the instructions when translated by the computer causing the computer to perform: presenting a user interface on a device associated with a user based on a particular object type definition for a selected object type, the user interface comprising query options for the user to formulate a query on the selected object type, the query options comprising a structured query constraint and an unstructured query constraint, wherein the particular object type definition specifies a set of attributes representing metadata for data objects instantiated according to the selected object type; and forming the query for an information retrieval engine, the query combining the structured query constraint and the unstructured query constraint, the information retrieval engine processing the query and returning data objects that correspond to the query, the data objects being from a set of data objects, each data object in the set of data objects comprising unstructured data and a metadata structure as ascribed by an object type definition.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising instructions that when translated by the computer cause the computer to perform: indexing the set of data objects in an index for search by the information retrieval engine.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the set of attributes corresponds to metadata associated with the unstructured data.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the metadata specified in the object type definition comprise dynamic metadata, the dynamic metadata being changeable over time.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising instructions that when translated by the computer cause the computer to perform: saving the query as a query object; and when the query object is opened, automatically running the query to return the data objects that correspond to the query.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the query options presented on the user interface further comprise a free text search option that allows the user to specify full text search terms that are to be located regardless of where they appear in a data object.

14. A method for finding data objects corresponding to a user query, comprising: receiving a selected object type at a computer having a search formation engine, the selected object type being selected by a user; the search formation engine presenting a user interface on a device associated with the user, the user interface comprising query options for the user to formulate a query on the selected object type, the query options comprising a structured query constraint and an unstructured query constraint; the search formation engine forming the query for an information retrieval engine, the query combining the structured query constraint and the unstructured query constraint; and the information retrieval engine processing the query and returning data objects that correspond to the query, the data objects being from a set of data objects, each data object in the set of data objects comprising unstructured data and a metadata structure as ascribed by an object type definition for an object type, wherein the object type definition specifies a set of attributes representing metadata for data objects instantiated according to the object type, the user interface based on a particular object type definition for the selected object type.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising indexing the set of data objects in an index for search by the information retrieval engine.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the set of attributes corresponds to metadata associated with the unstructured data.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the metadata specified in the object type definition comprise dynamic metadata, the dynamic metadata being changeable over time.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising: saving the query as a query object; and when the query object is opened, automatically running the query to return the data objects that correspond to the query.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the query options presented on the user interface further comprise a free text search option that allows the user to specify full text search terms that are to be located regardless of where they appear in a data object.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising: presenting the user with a report user interface based on the object type definition, the report user interface allowing the user to specify report parameters; and returning a set of results in a report based on the report parameters specified by the user.